KBO 2026: How Rookie Catcher Yoon Jun-ho’s First Home Run Changed the Game for Doosan Bears

The Doosan Bears snapped a three-game slide and put on an offensive clinic to rout the SSG Landers. Rookie catcher Yoon Jun-ho launched his first KBO home run and Jung Soo-bin drove in three, helping Doosan to a decisive victory.

On May 9 at Jamsil Stadium, Doosan beat SSG 9-4 in a 2026 KBO League home game. SSG finished with 10 hits to Doosan’s eight, but Doosan delivered when it mattered most.

Doosan seized control early. In the bottom of the first, SSG starter Hiramoto Ginjirō walked three straight batters to load the bases with no outs and then gave up a run on a balk. Doosan added two more on a run-scoring single by Daz Cameron and an RBI groundout to take a 3-0 lead.

The game swung in the bottom of the third. After Doosan led 4-2, Yoon crushed a 146 km/h (about 91 mph) fastball for a 110-meter two-run homer to left — his first in the KBO — extending the lead to 6-2 and turning the momentum firmly in Doosan’s favor.

Yoon finished 1-for-1 with a homer, drew two walks and reached base three times, scoring once and driving in two. He also called a steady game behind the plate, showing poise and control as the team’s catcher.

Jung delivered the knockout blow. In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs and the bases loaded and the score 7-4, he ripped a two-run RBI single that essentially put the game away. He finished with three RBIs and anchored the offense.

Starter Kwak Bin struggled with command, issuing four walks, but he battled through five innings, allowing six hits and two runs to earn his third win of the season. SSG’s Hiramoto endured a rough KBO debut, lasting three innings and surrendering three hits, six walks and six runs.

Doosan’s lineup woke up for nine runs and the team picked up a valuable win to end its losing stretch against SSG. Yoon Jun-ho’s first homer served as a symbolic momentum shift for the club.

Photo: Provided by Doosan Bears / Yonhap News